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Happy St. Patrick's Day! We will keep the festive spirit going tomorrow, March 18, when we hold our joint Business After Hours at the Thirsty Turtle Seagrill. Don't miss this opportunity to network with members of both the Daytona Regional Chamber and the Ormond Beach Chamber.
The 2025 Business Links Golf Tournament registration is under way. We are excited to hold this event in the spring this year. If you are looking for a way to market your business, consider an event sponsorship. Ken Phelps, VP of Resource Development, can assist with any questions.
Consider coming out to support the Children's Business Fair this Saturday, March 22. The event will be held at the beautiful Riverfront Esplanade and will showcase our community's youngest entrepreneurs.
At the Daytona Regional Chamber, we support the passion and drive that is necessary for the success of all businesses - no matter the age of the entrepreneur! Have a wonderful week ahead.
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Daytona Regional Chamber Happenings
Connecting You with a Click or Two
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Things to Do
Business After Hours: March 18
Don't miss the joint networking event of the Daytona Regional Chamber and the Ormond Beach Chamber hosted at the Thirsty Turtle Seagrill. Bring your business cards and be ready for a fantastic evening!
For more information, please contact Ken Phelps, Vice President of Resource Development, at ken@daytonachamber.com.
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Things to Share
Children's Business Fair: March 22
Come join us at the Children’s Business Fair! Kids develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and then open for customers at the one-day marketplace taking place Saturday, March 22, from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at 355 N. Beach, at the Riverfront Esplanade. For more information and to register, click HERE.
Emergency Operations Center Tour: March 26
Find out what happens behind the scenes during an emergency and learn how agencies work together to keep everyone in Volusia County safe.
The tour is sponsored by VMA. To register, go to VMAonline.com and click on events.
Community Survey: Open through March 28
The Environmental, Cultural, Historical, and Outdoor Recreation (ECHO) program invites you to participate in our strategic planning survey. Your feedback is crucial in guiding our blueprint for the program's growth and resource allocation through 2040. The survey focuses on sustainability, community impact, and ensuring the long-term success of ECHO's initiatives.
The survey will remain open through March 28. Click HERE to take the survey.
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We are Hiring!
We have immediate openings at the Daytona Regional Chamber. Do you know someone who would be a great addition to the Professional Chamber Staff? We are in search of two special people to join our dynamic team.
Click HERE to read the job descriptions and be sure to share them with colleagues, friends, and family.
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Leadership Daytona Alumni Council
Calling all Leadership Daytona Alumni! 2025 LDAC Chair Mica Lill and Vice Chair Jonny Magill would love to have your support of the council and the work we're doing to keep our community leaders engaged and informed. Your support ensures that programs such as the Leadership Daytona Reunion series and Readers to Leaders Initiative help the region thrive by leveraging the business and community leadership throughout the area. 2025 LDAC dues remain just $50! Visit the Leadership Daytona Alumni website, or scan the QR code below to pay your dues and show your alumni pride!
Contact Ken Phelps, VP of Resource Development if you need to update your alumni profile. Lead on!
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Warmest Welcome to Our Newest Members
Congratulations on Your Membership Investment
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Picture This!
The Week in Pictures
| | Chamber Ambassadors discussed the Official Welcome Center and brainstormed ideas for next year's event. | | Bob Davis, Hotel and Lodging Association President & CEO, met with members at their March meeting. | | Mayor Derrick Henry was the guest speaker at the March Eggs & Issues, sponsored by AdventHealth. Mayor Henry discussed his vision and priorities for the City of Daytona Beach. | | Past Chair Bob Lloyd stops in to grab a cup of coffee at the Cobb Cole coffee bar in our lobby. Instrumental in our building remodel, Bob commented on his pride for our new building and encourages businesses to stop in. | | March Focus: Nonprofits & Volunteerism | |
Member Spotlight: Neighbor to Family
By Bridgette Senez, Neighbor to Family Executive Director, Daytona Programs
Neighbor To Family Inc. was founded by Gordon Johnson, as a 501(c)3 child welfare agency, where he served as President/CEO until his passing in 2015. Headquartered in Daytona Beach, Neighbor To Family currently serves communities in Florida, Georgia, and Maryland.
Neighbor To Family’s nationally accredited and evidence-based sibling foster care program places abused and neglected children with their siblings in safe and stable foster homes.
Our superior performance outcomes are enhanced by our Professional Foster Caregivers. These carefully screened and highly trained individuals have played an essential role in working with the more than 17,000 children served by Neighbor To Family since 1998.
Children in Neighbor To Family care will typically return to their own homes or alternative permanent placements in less than 8.46 months (the national average length of stay in care is 22 months).
In 2024, NTF Daytona programs served over 280 families and 700 children throughout Volusia, Flagler, and Putnam Counties.
Our Mission: Revolutionize foster care by keeping siblings together while building healthier families and stronger communities.
Our Core Values
- Keeping siblings together for child well-being and family continuity
- Engaging and supporting families
- Developing and maintaining highly trained, committed staff and foster caregivers
- Maintaining stable placements leading to permanent families
- Minimizing potential risk to children in our care
- Maintaining fidelity to evidence-based practice and accreditation standards
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Arc of Volusia - Providing Hope, Growth & Change
By Karen Haught, The Arc of Volusia Director of Marketing & Operations
The Arc of Volusia was founded in 1962 as an educational program by 7 families providing an alternative to the then-common practice of institutionalizing children who had intellectual and developmental disabilities. With just 3 volunteers, and donated space at the Daytona Beach YMCA, The Arc of Volusia was born. Upon the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975, (which ensured public school education through age 22) our focus shifted to providing day training to intellectually and developmentally disabled (I/DD) adults.
Our mission is to provide the opportunity for hope, growth, and change to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Volusia County. We do this by facilitating a three-pronged adult day training program that includes life skills development, a sheltered workshop/job training environment (both onsite at our Daytona Beach and DeLand campuses) and a supported employment program in the Volusia County community.
Our vision is that one day, all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) will be included and participate as full members of their communities, throughout their lives. We strive to make this vision a reality in Volusia County through a compassionate and knowledgeable staff who are committed to guiding our clients to greater community through all aspects of daily life including educational, social, physical, emotional, and occupational activity.
We are proud to have the winning combination of a debt-free, modern, welcoming facilities, combined, more importantly, with a stellar staff committed to our clients’ well-being.
The values that guide The Arc of Volusia are:
- Everyone is a valued, contributing member of his or her community.
- The Arc fosters respect and protects the rights of people with I/DD.
- Together, with a collective voice, we can accomplish more.
Our greatest measure of accomplishment stems from seeing our clients overcome challenges to become more integrated members of their own community whether it is as an employee, a consumer, or simply as a contributing Volusia County resident.
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MOAS - Fostering Creativity, Cultural Understanding & Lifelong Learning
By Claire Mitchell, Museum of Arts & Sciences Assistant Director of Advancement
The Museum of Arts & Sciences (MOAS) is a vital cultural and educational resource for Central Florida, serving as the region’s largest and most comprehensive museum. With national accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums and affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution, MOAS ensures high-quality exhibits and educational experiences that foster creativity, cultural understanding, and lifelong learning.
From Majestic Birds to an Unbelievable Bug Invasion—Two Must-See Exhibits at MOAS!
Step into a world where art and nature collide at the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art and the Museum of Arts & Sciences in Daytona Beach! From breathtaking birds to mind-bending bugs, these two exhibits will take you on an artistic journey like no other!
Audubon’s Birds of Florida – Extended through April 6, 2025
Travel back in time with John James Audubon’s exquisite depictions of Florida’s avian wonders. His illustrations didn’t just capture birds—they shaped over a century of conservation efforts. Every feather, every detail tells a story of art, science, and preservation. See it before it takes flight!
Shoosty Bugs: An Art Infestation – Opening April 5, 2025
Get ready for an art invasion like nothing you’ve ever seen. Artist Stephen Shooster—aka Shoosty—brings his wildly imaginative insect creations to life through vibrant silk prints and cutting-edge digital techniques. These aren’t just bugs; they’re an explosion of color, movement, and pure creativity. Did you know that ladybugs bleed from their knees when upset? Or that dragonflies have the highest hunting success rate in the animal kingdom? Shoosty’s work invites you to see insects in a whole new light—fascinating, beautiful, and essential to life on Earth.
Don't miss these unforgettable exhibits. Experience Audubon’s birds before they fly away and prepare for Shoosty’s buzzing, electrifying art invasion.
Plan Your Visit Today! www.moas.org
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Monthly Member Focus
During the month of March, members from the nonprofit and volunteerism categories will have the opportunity to submit content to be featured in The Edge newsletter, on social media, and on the Chamber website.
Content could include an article, white paper, business spotlight, testimonial, or video. Content submission deadlines are 2/28, 3/7, 3/14, 3/21, and 3/28.
Direct questions to Kelly Amy, Membership Engagement & Communications Director, at kelly@daytonachamber.com.
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Advocacy in Action
Supporting a Thriving Business Environment
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Resources to Bookmark
Grow Your Business Today
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SCORE Volusia/Flagler provides free and confidential one-on-one business counseling by phone, email, and in-person in Volusia and Flagler counties. We also conduct workshops for both start-up entrepreneurs and seasoned small business owners.
Go to Volusia/Flagler | SCORE for more information.
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